ACCSP works with its state and federal partners to coordinate recreational fisheries data collection and identify opportunities for future integration across jurisdictions
Between state and federal agencies along the Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico coastline, more than 20 individual programs collect data from the for-hire sector. While many of these programs have been created to fill a specific management need, the collected data often overlaps.
The ACCSP Recreational Technical Committee has prioritized the need to develop a comprehensive integrated for-hire data collection program for survey design, data collection and estimation methodologies. The ability for data collection to be inclusive of charter and headboats operating in both state and federal waters, while minimizing duplicative, often overlapping, for-hire fishery reporting programs is a critical need along the Atlantic Coast. The goal of developing this program is to allow for the more complete use of for-hire logbook and survey data in MRIP estimates by establishing a standardized methodology for data collection, while allowing for flexibility in reporting under different permit requirements.
In 2016, ACCSP brought together representatives of these for-hire data collection programs to explore opportunities for data sharing and convergence in order to reduce duplicate reporting in the Atlantic and Gulf for-hire sector.
In 2023, ACCSP committee members and staff proposed an estimation methodology of for-hire logbook effort and catch to MRIP as part of an ongoing, iterative process.
For-Hire Data Support
For-hire catch & effort data are collected via a combination of surveys for coastwide catch estimates and logbooks for permit compliance monitoring and some link to the coastwide surveys.
This is an infographic that explains the various for-hire recreational fishing data collection programs along the Atlantic. This data is combined with commercial, biological, and observer data to inform stock assessments and fisheries management decisions.
MRIP Surveys
- Provide official coastwide catch estimates for commonly encountered species
- APAIS dockside intercepts (collects information to estimate catch)
- For-Hire Telephone Survey (collects information to estimate for hire fishing activity, or effort)
- Large Pelagic Survey (collects catch and effort data for tuna, sharks, billfishes, swordfish, and other offshore recreational species.)
- Fishing Effort Survey (collects information to estimate private boat and shore fishing effort)
Federal VTRs/eVTRs
- Greater Atlantic Region
- SouthEast Region
- Highly Migratory Species Division
State Logbooks
- Provide state permit reporting compliance
- Used for state waters catch estimates
- Several states implemented similar programs
Discards
In response to recent declines in fishery stocks, management activity has acted to reduce harvest in the recreational sector. This translates to growing portion of total recreational catch being released at sea which is not observable in traditional dockside/creel surveys. Enumerating this increasing discarded catch information continues to be a major priority for the Atlantic coast.
In 2017, the Gulf States Marine Fisheries Commission held a workshop to discuss needs and uses of recreational released catch (discards). The full workshop report can be found here.
Citizen Science
The use of citizen science, an evolving collaboration of scientists/managers and the general public in data collection efforts, is becoming increasingly popular. Where possible, it would be beneficial to sync this effort with existing MRIP estimation processes; however, that’s not always possible. Citizen science is often more applicable for use in stock assessments and management processes. As the utility of citizen science progresses through time, ACCSP work to standardize data streams via mobile applications from Atlantic partners.
One of the major, ongoing effort to engage the public is via SciFish, a partnership originally consisting of ACCSP, the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council, and the North Carolina Division of Marine Fisheries. A major purpose of SciFish is to support additional partner projects via a project-builder ‘base’ application which allows for a standardized approach to differing partner objectives.
Percent Standard Error Project
In 2012, ACCSP initiated a project to establish recreational data PSE (precision) standards applicable to the various management needs of state and federal stakeholders.
With funding support through MRIP, the project developed a management strategy evaluation (MSE) model to evaluate how different levels of PSE affect the stock assessment and management of fisheries.
The project helped improve understanding of how recreational data precision impacts scientific uncertainty in stock assessments.
Sharing Technology with National Partners
The ACCSP developed the APAIS electronic data collection via tablet-based and FHTS via web-based applications and deployed to the Atlantic states in 2019. Based on that successful implementation, the software and IT infrastructure was then shared with the GSMFC in 2021 and for use in Hawaii with the assistance of NOAA Fisheries in 2022 for 2023. These collaborations and resource sharing activities help to standardize data collection and further improve data collection efforts at a national level.
Sharing of these technologies across regions provides a case study in partnership and fiscal efficiency.